Zero terror plan, complete area domination in J&K to be completed by 2026: Amit Shah

Srinagar, Dec 7: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra has made a “Zero terror plan”, which has been implemented for the last 3 years in J&K and by 2026, it (plan) will be completely implemented.

“Along with this, a complete area domination plan has been made which will also be completed by 2026 as I’ve firm belief that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to return in 2024,” he has announced.
This reiteration of his “360 degree net” to bolster security situation in J&K was made by him in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, while replying to an animated debate on Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that spanned over two days.

To those who claimed that no work had been done in the last few years, the Union Home Minister mocked, “How will the people who are cut off from their roots know about this change” The change in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be experienced by holidaying in England.”

“The Ministry of Home Affairs reviews the security situation in Kashmir every month and every three months I, myself, visit there and review the security situation. Earlier only terrorists were killed, but now we have destroyed its entire ecosystem,” he said.

His assertion came after many members raised concerns about terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and directly linked it to the abrogation of Article 370.
Shah said, “As I earlier also said that at the root of terrorism was the feeling of separatism which had arisen due to Article 370.”

“I never said that terrorism in J&K would end by the abrogation of Article 370. I had said that with the removal of Article 370, there would be a huge reduction in separatism and due to this terrorism would also reduce. Between 1994 and 2004, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism took place, between 2004 to 2014 7,217 took place whereas in the 9 years of the Narendra Modi government, these incidents came down to only 2,197 with a 70 percent reduction. 65 percent of these incidents occurred due to police action. In the 9 years of the Narendra Modi government, the number of deaths of civilians has decreased by 72 percent and the number of deaths of security forces by 59 percent,” he said.

Shah said that in 2010, there were 2,654 stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir while in 2023 there was not a single stone pelting incident. He said that in 2010 there were 132 organized strikes, while in 2023 there was not even a single strike. In 2010, 112 civilians died in stone pelting, whereas in 2023, not even one person died. In 2010, 6,235 security personnel were injured in stone pelting, not even a single one was injured in 2023.

Taking a dig at the opposition benches, the Union Home Minister said they (opposition) had declared that abrogation of Article 370 would lead to bloodshed, but the Narendra Modi government made such arrangements that no one had the courage to throw even a single pebble.

He said that in 2010 there were 70 incidents of ceasefire violations but in 2023 there were only 2 such incidents. There were 489 incidents of infiltration in 2010, only 48 incidents took place in 2023.

He said that after the abolition of Article 370, cinema halls opened for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 after 30 years. Shah said that a multiplex was built in Srinagar, 4 new theatres opened in Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Handwara and shooting of more than 100 films started. Bank loan proposals for about 100 cinema halls were under consideration by the banks, he said.

Shah said that Article 370 was responsible for the death of 45,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir, which was abrogated by Prime Minister Modi. He said that in this country there should be only one symbol, only one constitution and only one head and for this purpose Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ji had given his life and this was the wish of the country.

The Union Home Minister said that Article 370 was a temporary provision which should have been abolished long ago, but no one dared. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed courage and abolished Article 370. Shah said that in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution that Article 370 was temporary, Prime Minister Modi abolished it on August 5.

He said that for the first time Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English and Urdu were made the official languages of the state. He said that the Right to Education Act, Land Acquisition and Compensation Act, Forest Rights Act, SC-ST Prevention Atrocities Act, WhistleBlower Protection Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Minority Commission Act, 1992 were put on hold but now they were being implemented.

“And now the duration of the assembly is also 5 years. Under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, there was not a single house in the valley where the Tricolour was not hoisted, this change has taken place there. Today every festival is celebrated with joy and happiness at Lal Chowk and people from every community participate in it. Earlier our leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murli Manohar Joshi had to struggle to unfurl it at the Lal Chowk. But now the spirit of the Constitution has now been taken to the grassroots level there,” he said.

He said that the government handled Jammu and Kashmir with full sensitivity. Before the present government came to power, the last available figure of tourists was around 14 lakhs, whereas in the year 2022-23, 2 crore tourists reached Jammu and Kashmir and, this year by June 2023 the figure of one crore had already been touched.

He expressed confidence that the record of arrival of 2 crore tourists under the government led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be broken by this December.

Shah said that Jammu and Kashmir had become a destination whose environment and nature has a global and modern outlook. “Home stay policy has been framed in the state, film policy has been framed, work has also been done to frame a policy for house boats, Jammu Ropeway Project has been completed with a cost of Rs 75 crore and industrial policy has also been framed,” he said.

Shah said that the central government made tireless efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the security of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and improve their quality of life.
As per statistics quoted by the Union Home Minister, a total of 83 cases of terror funding have been registered, including 32 cases by NIA and 51 cases by SIA. Around 229 arrests have been made and the process
is underway in the court to seize and auction 57 properties worth Rs 150 crore.

134 bank accounts were sealed in which Rs 122 crore were seized and another Rs 5.5 crore in cash was seized.

The Union Home Minister said that the era of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir started after the 1980s and the people who had lived there for generations were completely displaced from there but no one cared about them. He said that those who had the responsibility to stop all this used to holiday in England. “If they had ended terrorism in the beginning without vote bank politics and by taking precise measures then there would have been no need to bring this bill today,” he said, while referring to J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

He said that this bill would give them rights and representation.

Union Home Minister said that for the first time in the history of Delimitation Commission, 9 seats were reserved for Scheduled Tribes and seven seats were also reserved for Scheduled Castes.

“Earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu which have now become 43, there were 46 seats in Kashmir earlier which have now become 47 and 24 seats have been kept reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir because PoK is ours. Earlier there were 107 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, now there are 114 seats, earlier there were 2 nominated members in the Assembly, now there will be 5. All this happened because on August 5-6, 2019, a historic bill was approved by the cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and after its passage by the parliament, Article 370 was abolished,” he said.

Shah said that through these bills, in history the every oppressed, backward and displaced Kashmiri would remember efforts and blessings of the Lok Sabha that the Narendra Modi government “reserved 2 seats to provide justice to the brothers and sisters of their own country who were displaced since last 70 years.”

He said that Jammu and Kashmir had to suffer for years due to two big mistakes made by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his tenure as Prime Minister.

“Pandit Nehru's first mistake was that when our army was winning, a ceasefire was done as soon as it reached Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was born. If the ceasefire had been delayed by 3 days, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have been a part of India today,” he said.

Referring to other ‘mistake’, Shah said, “The second big mistake was when they took our issue to the United Nations. Even when the matter was sent to the UN, the decision was taken very hastily. This matter should not have been taken to the UN at all and even if it was taken, the matter should have been taken under Article 51 of the UN Charter instead of Article 35. Despite advice given by several people on record, the matter was taken to the UN under Article 35.”

Amid objections by the Congress, Shah said former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru, himself, had written that it was his mistake. “But it was not just a mistake but a blunder. The country lost a big chunk of land; it was a blunder,” he said.

Both the Bills were passed by Lok Sabha by voice vote. Now they will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage and for ensuring smooth sailing there; the BJP has already issued a whip to its all members to remain present in the Upper House tomorrow.